Page 162 of Simon Says

Simon put his arm around Dakota. “Come on. You need to put on warmer clothes and some shoes before the cops start grilling you, too.”

On the way inside, they passed Marvin and the other two men. Dakota stopped to look at them.

“What do you want?” Marvin snarled.

“I was just thinking how long you’ll be in jail. Everyone here heard you say that you planned to cut me. You wore the same masks that you wore when you jumped Barber and Bonnie in the parking lot. The same night that I was shoved down the stairs.” She tipped her head. “You really aren’t very bright, are you?”

He started to stand and Mallet planted a boot in his chest, shoving him back to his butt.

Shaking her head, Dakota said, “You are a very pathetic…thing.”

With a hand to the small of her back, Simon started her walking again. “Let’s go. You’ve wasted enough time on him.”

They’d almost reached the door when Dakota said, “Simon?”

“Yeah, honey?”

“You lied about going to the gym.”

“I was going.”

“But to meet Marvin, right?”

“If he showed up, which I doubted.”

“So it was sort of a lie of omission.” She slipped her hand in his. “Same as my lie of omission about Barnaby being my stepfather.”

His hand tightened on hers. “No, Dakota. This was different.”

“Maybe. But the fact is, we’re both human and both bound to make mistakes. Right?”

He pulled the door open for her. “We can talk about all that later.”

“I was going to tell you about Barnaby. Today in fact. It’s been pretty crazy, that’s all. Everything has happened fast.”

“Shhh.” Simon led her down the hall to her room. “Do you have your room key?”

It was still in the pocket of her flannel lounge pants. She handed it to him. “I know I made mistakes. I know I’ll make more. But the important thing is that I love you.”

Simon paused with the key card stuck in the door. “What did you say?”

Dakota stared up into his eyes. “I love you.” The admission had her shrugging with helplessness. “I know it hasn’t been that long. And with you making your comeback and the fight we just had and everything, the timing is off. You’re still ticked at me, and I’ve sort of got this rush of adrenaline going that makes me want to molest you, but—”

“You love me?”

She nodded. “Yeah. Sucks, huh?”

Simon grabbed her close and kissed her hard. He kept trying to stop, but couldn’t seem to manage it. They stood in the hall outside her room and he had her backed up to the wall, his mouth devouring hers.

Dakota pushed him back. Seeing the heat in his eyes, she took a breath. “Maybe it doesn’t suck?”

He cupped her face and smiled. “No, it doesn’t.”

“So…” She suddenly felt shy, when she didn’t have a shy bone in her body. “Does that mean you care a little, too?”

Slowly, Simon’s smile turned into a laugh. “Yeah. I guess it does.”

Dakota slugged him. “How little?”

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